


Coming Undone

by JasnNCarly



Category: Boardwalk Empire
Genre: Drabble Series, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-12-29
Updated: 2011-12-29
Packaged: 2019-06-12 04:25:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15331680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasnNCarly/pseuds/JasnNCarly
Summary: With Jimmy's death, Richard is forced to live a life he never imagined was possible.





	1. Chapter 1

**AN: If you have never seen Boardwalk Empire and are interested in learning more about Richard's character, please visit**[the Boardwalk Empire Wiki.](http://boardwalkempire.wikia.com/wiki/Richard_Harrow) 

You may see a wonderful tribute to Richard’s character: [HERE](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TbjzAKwvwo)

When it comes to Richard’s speech, his injuries have caused him to stumble so the excessive use of periods is necessary; this drabble series will be mature, as any respectable HBO fanfic must be. Story takes place right after the Season Two Finale episode. 

  
_*Gorgeous banner by Ayshen_

**~*~Murk~*~**  
  
“Richard, are you hearing this? Jimmy’s left you everything.”  
  
The short answer would’ve been no, if he actually had the clarity to do so. Instead, he could only blink his available eye in response as his thoughts paralyzed his tongue.  
  
His best friend, his only tie to this new life – whatever it was – had been gunned down. Killed at the same memorial site he had spoken at, clearly set up by the mentor he tried so hard to gain respect from.  
  
Richard offered to go, would’ve taken a bullet for him; Jimmy denied him that end, refused him an out.  
  
 **~*~Establish~*~**  
  
“There must be some mistake.” Gillian’s sharp breath brought him back, her lips struggling to maintain smile as her eyes betrayed her, “This says Jimmy left Richard the estate and Tommy. Th—there’s no mention of me anywhere.”  
  
Richard never understood the relationship between Jimmy and his mother; yet he knew Gillian was to be protected. However, he tried to piece it together with one question left unspoken: what had she done to Jimmy?  
  
The lawyer glanced at the disfigured man beside her, “Jimmy paid me very well to make sure his will was carried out. There is no mistake.”  
  
 **~*~Straightforward~*~**  
  
“You must be able to do something.” Gillian put her best foot forward, gesturing towards Richard before insisting in a not so soft whisper, “He’s simple minded. He—he won’t know how to care for Jimmy’s son.”  
  
“I know.” Richard’s trademark murmur disrupted their discussion, a breath bringing forth his determination, “I will. Raise him right. Jimmy. Trusted me.”  
  
Gillian’s eyes were ablaze with resentment, “He knows me.”  
  
“He knows me. Too.” He could back down from anything except this, especially after his friend made his final task clear.  
  
He’d try to have some kind of life…because Jimmy said to.  
  
 **~*~Normal~*~**  
  
Tommy continued to move his car around the hardwood floor, his eyes never leaving the toy, as Richard sat on the couch, his eyes steady on the child and his every move.  
  
“You can’t just stare at him.” Her words came across gentle unlike they had during their meeting with the lawyer.  
  
While Richard had vowed she would be cared for, he refused to give her anything – including custody of the child.   
  
Wounded by Jimmy’s death, questioning Gillian’s motives, he took her words into consideration and moved to a seat on the floor.  
  
Tommy’s eyes finally met his, “Wanna play?”


	2. Chapter 2

**~*~Alter~*~**  
  
“I didn’t feel it was appropriate to make this announcement in front of Gillian, but…it is a condition of Jimmy’s will. She must be removed from the premises as soon as possible, and her visits with Tommy are to be limited and supervised.”  
  
“Mmm.” Richard gave a firm nod, standing from his seat before the lawyer’s desk, “Is there. Anything else?”  
  
“These are the keys to the home Jimmy owned with Angela; he’s left that to her.” The man shook his head, sliding the key across the table, “I’ve got no idea what disagreement they had, but he was adamant.”  
  
 **~*~Correct~*~**  
  
“You’re kicking me out of my home?”  
  
It wasn’t an eviction, far from it. Richard was once again giving into Jimmy’s request, handling everything without emotion as it came to business. Now, the business at hand was his mother’s removal.  
  
Gillian laughed at the key he extended to her, snatching it with spite, “You think this okay? That my son left some incomplete, half man to care for my grandson, a little boy!”  
  
Though the words stung, he said nothing and merely gestured for her to make her exit – nothing she said would make him betray his friend’s last wishes.  
  
 **~*~Meander~*~**  
  
Her disrespect had not led him to treat her the same; with the remaining respect, Richard accepted Gillian’s offer to the Beaux Arts.  
  
He wanted to give her the chance to apologize and schedule visits with Tommy; however, he wouldn’t beg for it or make adjustments for her liking.  
  
The idea of seeing ‘the show’ did not appeal to him, leaving him to stand an alley beside the building and enjoy the crisp night air.  
  
The slam of a steel door hitting a concrete wall caused his eyes to shoot over his shoulder, inserting him into an entirely new scenario.  
  
 **~*~Industry~*~**  
  
The argument was none of his business, clearly an argument between employer and employee; he tried to avoid intrusion, tried to look away as they continued.  
  
The slender woman backed away from the larger man until, without much warning, the man grabbed at her thick waves, prompting her to push him away and slap him so hard the sound echoed through the corridor.  
  
Lunging at her, the man slammed her against the wall as she attempted to fight him off, screaming into the air for help.  
  
The situation could’ve been anyone’s fault, not his concern, yet he couldn’t just standby.


	3. Chapter 3

**~*~Choice~*~**  
  
Richard said nothing, allowed the click of his gun and the metal pressed against the back of the man’s head to speak the volumes which he couldn’t.  
  
The man held his hands up in surrender, releasing the woman who scrambled back from him. His feet wobbled as he straightened his stand; he turned toward Richard who kept his gun steady – clearly willing to take the shot without a hint of remorse or hesitation.  
  
“Misunderstanding. Won’t happen again, buddy. She’s fired.”  
  
Ignoring him, Richard tilted his head to glimpse at the woman.  
  
She hung her head, “I quit, you fuckin’ perv.”  
  
 **~*~Tread~*~**  
  
Richard refused to let his gun fall until the door had slammed shut; then he glanced towards the woman still trying to collect herself beside him.  
  
He caught the faint hint of red marks on her heaving chest, her trembling hands trying to piece her dress back together.   
  
With one last glance towards the door, he removed his overcoat. His survey assured him no one would return to bother them, giving him the opportunity to drape the cloth around her.  
  
The action caused her cat eyes to jump upward and sent him scurrying back into the safety of the shadows.  
  
 **~*~Reaction~*~**  
  
The very hint of beauty made him uncomfortable, self conscious to the point of pain. His free hand attempted to guarantee his mask was in place as he ensured she saw only his uncovered skin, trying not to alarm her more than her attack had, “He won’t. Bother you. Anymore.”  
  
“Thank you.” The statement was forced, full of tears he could detect without seeking their placement along her sun kissed, flawless skin.   
  
In his peripheral, he watched her arms slide into the cloth with a slight wince and hug the material tightly around her frame, seemingly shrinking by the second.   
  
 **~*~Expose~*~**  
  
“My job was to serve drinks. That’s all.”   
  
Her explanation was unnecessary; made him hang his head further down in fear his gaze pressured her to speak.  
  
When she found the courage to take a step toward him, he moved back and struggled to conceal his mask; when she tried again, he faced her head on and awaited her high pitched scream - one similar to those which haunted his dreams.  
  
The sight caused her eyes to grow wide, yet her feet remained cemented in place.   
  
Swallowing so hard the movement was visible, she extended her hand, “I’m Amita Lourdes.”


	4. Chapter 4

**~*~Sight~*~**  
  
The limited light from the alley made her eyes change colors at least four different times before he registered her extended her hand, a confirmation that she had not run in fear.  
  
The absence of rejection and disgust made him ill, the disruption to what he knew made his skin crawl, and he needed to escape.  
  
Swallowing hard, he took a step back, “You. Will be fine. Now.” Richard forced the last word out, his freshly polished shoes beginning to venture away.  
  
He had reached the front of the building and heard a heavy sigh, registering her presence beside him.   
  
 **~*~Sound~*~**  
  
Richard froze, trying to read her as she surveyed the night around them.   
  
Her breath became more even as she fastened his coat around her body and tucked wild waves behind her ears; blinking her thick lashes, she offered him a small smile when his eye found hers once more.  
  
“You don’t say much, do you?” Amita’s inquiry prompted him to keep moving, her footsteps only seconds behind, “Men who speak the least usually have the most to say.”  
  
“Mmm.” He muffled a laugh with the sound, trying to pick up his pace and lose her, “You should get. Home.”  
  
 **~*~Touch~*~**  
  
His feet stopped at the sudden sound of a low hiss. Glancing carefully over his shoulder, he watched as her fingers delicately met the darkening of her cheek.  
  
“I don’t remember being hit.” She angled her face towards him, “Is it bad?”  
  
Richard wanted to tell her not even the bruise could make her skin less desirable; instead, he turned away with a mumble, “Might swell.”  
  
She gave a small nod, lowering her hand and hugging herself tight.  
  
“I’m sorry I. Didn’t stop him. Sooner.”  
  
Amita squared her shoulders with misty eyes, “I’m just happy you stopped him at all.”  
  
 **~*~Smell~*~**  
  
When a wind whipped through the streets, he caught the hint of honeysuckle in the air and noted that her waves were streaming behind her.  
  
Despite looking somewhat disheveled by her attack, Amita was no longer a step behind but now in perfect step with him.  
  
Richard had no idea where she lived; Amita seemed to have no desire to return home; they were left with no real direction as they wondered the streets of Atlantic City.   
  
The temptation to make her go was stripped from Richard as a man passed and prompted Amita to stand closer to his side.


	5. Chapter 5

**~*~Attempt~*~**  
  
 _“Time to come home, Richard.”  
  
“How?”  
  
“I don’t know. But, promise me, you’re gonna try.”_  
  
Richard’s eye flew open as Jimmy’s final request fell upon his ears. Sitting up on the couch, he used a few gentle breaths to calm himself down.  
  
The sound of heels on the hardwood floor sent his hands flying towards his mask, quickly fixing the mold against his skin in anticipation of company.  
  
“So this is why you never met with me last night? You were too busy bringing some trollop into the same home where my grandson lives? And Jimmy trusted you over me!”   
  
 **~*~Interruption~*~**  
  
Gillian’s heated words did little to orient him with reality as her index finger began to wag with accusation towards him, “You will not use that boy as a means to be normal, do you understand me? You are anything but normal!”  
  
Not a word left his lips as he accepted everything she said with painful agreement; it was nothing new, nothing devastating, just agonizingly understood.  
  
“Jimmy must have been out of his mind with grief to leave this responsibility to you, Richard.”   
  
“Richard,” the repetition of his name was soft, warm, and new as it left her pillow lips.  
  
 **~*~Renew~*~**  
  
Her presence was refreshed, dressed in a conservative blue dress which left much more to the imagination than her attire of the night before; her thick waves were pinned into a bun; and she had hidden the marks on her skin with heavy powder.   
  
If she hadn’t blended the work with a careful eye, the world would’ve seen yet another one of his failures.  
  
A smile flickered across Amita’s lips as she approached, uneasy in her steps, “I didn’t mean to intrude, but I wanted to let you know breakfast was ready. Also, Tommy asked when you would join him.”  
  
 **~*~Guest~*~**  
  
The questions tickled the tip of his tongue, each one revolved around how she got to his home and why she stuck around.  
  
Yet he uttered not a word.  
  
Instead, his eye drifted towards her heels as they seemingly sailed into the space between him and Gillian.  
  
“I’m Amita, a friend of Richard’s, and I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.” She put forth a gentle hand, “You are?”  
  
“I’m the woman who you are trying to replace.” Gillian staring Amita down, narrowing her eyes at the beauty before her, “And whatever  **favor** you did for this man means  _nothing_.”


End file.
